Ariston Combi Boiler Hot Water Temperature Fluctuations

[allan2000]

Hello everyone,

I have an Ariston Micro Genus HE Combi boiler. It's worked fine for the past two years but now there are temperature flucutaions whenever the hot water is used - hot to cool. I asked BG to come have a look and the engineer said it was most likely sludge/solder in the central heating pipes and I should get a MagnaClean installed. But in the mean time he said to increase water temp on boiler to iron out the fluctuations. It worked for a a week but now the fluctuations are back.

I've also had time to think I am starting to wonder if what he said was entirely true as I haven't used central heating this summer. Also I've always assumed that in a combi boiler the central heating and hot water systems are separate.

Has anyone else experienced this problem and if so what is the solution to the hot water temp. fluctuations. Also do I really need a Magna Clean and will it help my hot water flctuations? Thanks

 

[twgas]

most hot-cold-hot-cold problems with combis are due to cr4p in the water-to-water heat exchanger, if that's your problem then a magnaclean won't cure it, it needs either cleaning or replacing.
A magnaclean would help to prevent the same problem recurring.

 

[allan2000]

thanks, the boiler was serviced recently and the engineer never mentioned this. I'll have to call to get someone out again. thanks

 

[bengasman]

Heating and hotwater system in a combi are not separate; crap in the pipes/rads, will end up in the plate heatexchanger. Aristons are particularly sensitive to this.
If you just clean or replace the heatexchanger, the problem will keep coming back, so the system must be cleaned.
Once this is done, sticking a magnaclean on the return pipe will prevent this problem ever happening again, provided that the inhibitor level is kept up.